Azerbaijan is holding Armenians hostage
Azerbaijani security forces have seized at least eight current and former senior officials of Nagorno Karabakh, also known as the Republic of Artsakh, following Baku’s military takeover. Several Armenian civilians from Karabakh were abducted before the offensive. Azerbaijan is also holding at least five Armenian soldiers, all of whom were kidnapped after the end of the 2020 war. CSI calls for all Armenian hostages to be released without delay.
Political prisoners
Ruben Vardanyan – former state minister
The businessman and philanthropist who served as minister of state until February 2023 was abducted when trying to cross into Armenia. Vardanyan was taken to Baku where he is in pre-trial detention charged with financing “terrorism,” creating and participating in “illegal armed organizations” and illegally crossing the Azerbaijani border.
Arayik Harutyunyan – former president
Harutyunyan was the fourth president of the Republic of Artsakh, serving from May 2020 until his resignation on September 1, 2023. Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general issued a warrant for his arrest on October 1. According to Azerbaijani press reports, Harutunyan has already undergone interrogation in Baku.
Bako Sahakyan – former president
Arrested on October 3, Sahakyan was the third and longest-serving president of the Republic of Artsakh. He was in office from July 2007 until May 2020.
Arkadi Ghukasyan – former president
Ghukasyan was Nagorno Karabakh’s second president, serving from 1997 to 2007. He was also arrested on October 3.
Davit Ishkhanyan – National Assembly speaker
Ishkhanyan was elected speaker of parliament in August 2023, just one month before Azerbaijan’s offensive. He too was arrested on October 3.
David Babayan – former foreign minister
Babayan served as foreign minister from 2021 to 2023. In January 2023 he became a presidential advisor. Knowing that he was on Azerbaijan’s wanted list, he announced on September 28 that he was handing himself over. The following day he was arrested in connection with “crimes” committed during the war in 2020. He is in pre-trial detention charged with more than ten counts of violating the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Levon Mnatsakanyan – former minister of defense
Mnatsakanyan commanded the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army from 2015 to 2018. He was arrested at the Lachin Corridor border checkpoint on September 29.
Davit Manukyan – former deputy minister of defense
Arrested on September 29 and remanded to pre-trial detention for his role in defending Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijani aggression as the republic’s deputy defense minister, Manukyan has been charged with “terrorism,” illegal possession and transportation of weapons and ammunition, forming “armed groups” and illegal border crossing.
Civilian hostages
Madat Babayan
The 71-year-old shepherd was declared missing following the Azerbaijani offensive on September 19. It is now clear that he is a hostage of Baku. The State Security Service of Azerbaijan accuses Babayan of involvement in the Khojaly massacre in the first Nagorno Karabakh war in 1992. He has been ordered detained for four months.
Vagif Khachatryan
Khachatryan, aged 68, was being evacuated by the International Committee of the Red Cross for urgent medical treatment when Azerbaijani border guards seized him at the Lachin Corridor crossing point on July 29. His trial opened in Baku on October 13, where he was baselessly charged with committing “genocide” in Meshali village of Khojaly district during the first Nagorno Karabakh war in the 1990s. On November 7, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has filed an appeal against the sentence.
Rashid Beglaryan
On August 1, 2023, Azerbaijani security forces detained the 61-year-old Artsakh resident who has been charged with war crimes, forming illegal armed groups and illegally crossing into the Lachin district.
Vicken Euljekjian
Euljekjian, 43, a Lebanese-born Armenian civilian, was abducted by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno Karabakh on November 10, 2020, the day after a ceasefire ended the 2020 Karabakh War. He was sentenced by Baku to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021. In November 2023, he was reported to be in very bad health in prison in Baku.
Alen Sargsyan, Vahe Hovsepyan, Levon Grigoryan
On August 28, Azerbaijan abducted the three young Armenian students from Nagorno Karabakh and charged them with disrespecting the Azerbaijani flag. They were released and sent to Armenia before the start of the military conflict on September 19.
Davit Tigran Davtyan
Age: 30
Date of capture: November 9, 2020
Place of capture: near Lisagor, Nagorno Karabakh (Berdzor-Shushi road)
Illegally convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Azerbaijan
(Source: CFTJ)
Gevorg Ruben Sujyan
Age: 34
Date of capture: November 9, 2020
Place of capture: near Lachin, Nagorno Karabakh
Illegally convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Azerbaijan
(Source: CFTJ)
Karen Sedraki Petrosyan
Age: unknown
Date of capture: 10/27/2020
Place of capture: Avetaranoc village, Nagorno Karabakh
Note: According to his sister, who received a phone call from him, he is still in Baku. Azerbaijan hasn't confirmed that he is being held.
(Source: CFTJ)
Prisoners of War (List compiled by the Center for Truth and Justice)
Hambartsumyants, Davit Mikayel
Age: 23
Date of capture: September 2020
Place of capture: Mataghis, Nagorno Karabakh
Hovsepyan, Hayk Ararat
Age: 19
Date of capture: September 19, 2023
Place of capture: Vank, Nagorno Karabakh
Khosrovyan, Alyosha Aramayis
Age: 56
Date of capture: October 3, 2020
Sentenced to 20 years in prison
Mkrtchyan, Lyudvig Mkrtich
Age: 54
Date of capture: October 20, 2020
Place of capture: Fizuli, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment on August 2, 2021
Yeghiazaryan, Aleksandr
Age: Unknown
Date of capture: 2020
Place of capture: Zangelan, Nagorno Karabakh
Note: Azerbaijan has not confirmed his detention; a returned POW testifies that they shared a cell
Hostages freed on 13-12-2023
Aramyan, Karen Armen
Age: 28
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Avagyan, Hrachya Arzuman
Age: 31
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 4 years in prison
Avagyan, Serob Suren
Age: 39
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Avagyan, Tigran Manuk
Age: 25
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Avetisyan, Vagharshak Ashot
Age: 27
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Baghdasaryan, Artur Eduard
Age: 25
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Bahrikyan, Vahagn Edik
Age: 40
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Dilanyan, Arman Vazgen
Age: 34
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Gevorgyan, Robert Hovik
Age: 25
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Ghazaryan, Karen
Age: unknown
Date of capture: May 26, 2023
Place of capture: Shikahogh village, Kapan, Armenia
Illegally convicted on 7/7/23 and sentenced to 11.5 years in prison
Hakobyan, Volodya Gagik
Age: 24
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Harutyunyan, Varazdat Seryoja
Age: 27
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Herabyan, Hrayr Hrach
Age: 28
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Hovakimyan, Harutyun Yurik
Age: 34
Date of capture: May 26, 2023
Place of capture: Shikahogh village, Kapan, Armenia
Illegally convicted on 7/7/23 and sentenced to 11.5 years in prison
Hovhannisyan, Haykaz Koryun
Age: 31
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Isayan, Aren Ara
Age: 20
Date of capture: September 19, 2023
Place of capture: Vank, Nagorno Karabakh
Kirakosyan, Eduard Armen
Age: 31
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Kostanyan, Narek Aghasi
Age: 26
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Martirosyan, Gevorg Samvel
Age: 24
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Martoyan, Manuk Hovhannes
Age: 24
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Mikayelyan, Andranik Vazgen
Age: 25
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Rafaelyan, Vladimir Otar
Age: 36
Date of capture: May 27, 2021
Place of capture: Karvachar sector, Gegharkunik, Armenia
Sentenced to 18 years in prison
Saghatelyan, Grigor Seyran
Age: 31
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Sargsyan, Ishkhan Ashot
Age: 26
Date of capture: May 27, 2021
Place of capture: Kut Village, Armenia
Sentenced to 19 years in prison
Serobyan, Gegham Samvel
Age: 39
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 4 years of prison
Stepanyan, Davit Stepan
Age: 27
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Sukiasyan, Andranik Srap
Age: 26
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Tadevosyan, Hrayr Vardan
Age: 27
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Tosunyan, Levon Ashot
Age: 32
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
Vardanyan, Arsen Arayik
Age: 25
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years of prison
Voskanyan, Gagik Ashot
Age: 40
Date of capture: August 16, 2023
Place of capture: Karvachar, Nagorno Karabakh
Yeghiazaryan, Sasun Seyran
Age: 34
Date of capture: December 13, 2020
Place of capture: Khtsaberd, Nagorno Karabakh
Sentenced to 6 years in prison
List of POWs compiled by the Center for Truth and Justice. Read their full report.